3 Reasons Why Diets Don't Work!

Women, and men for that matter, have been dieting for centuries, trying to reach the perfect image of themselves. This often means trying to look like people pictured in the entertainment, sports or media field. But the truth is that only about 5 percent of people who diet are successful, meaning taking the weight off and keeping it off. So, why don't diets work?

3 reasons why diets don't work:

1. Most diets are fads: Fads are something that is here today and gone tomorrow. If diets really worked, there would be no reason for more diets, right? Most diet plans and products are heavily advertised, using celebrities as proof that they work. They play on people's emotions. What the marketing does not tell you is that it takes times, patience, self control, and the dedication to keep the weight off once it is lost, which is why most diets fail.
2. Most diets focus on the look, rather than health: According Traci Mann, who teaches psychology at the University of Minnesota, diets don't work because they are just short-term fixes. Mann has been studying eating habits, self-control and dieting for more than 20 years. Diet companies make products that are quick fixes because that's what most people are looking for. And when diets don't work, people blame themselves. Diets focus on the here and now and do not help you keep the weight off. For most dieters, when the diet is over, the weight comes right back on. The truth is that there is no quick fix. A diet will not help you lose weight and keep it off.
3. Not everyone needs to diet: Just because you don't look like one of those skinny celebrities doesn't mean you should diet in the first place. Most people have a vision of how they would like to look, but it may not be based on what is realistic. Height and bone structure must be considered. It's simply unhealthy to try to lose weight to reach a level below your set weight range, given height and bone structure.

So, what's the alternative?

It goes back to eating healthy food in moderate proportions, and exercising. Healthy foods means eating high protein, low fat, high fiber foods like lots of vegetables, lean meat, and whole grains. Exercising means regular exercise that gets the heart pumping. If you focus on being healthy, rather than obsessing about a diet, the weight will come off. And stay off.

Read more at www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2015/05/04/why-diets-dont-actually-work-according-to-a-researcher-who-has-studied-them-for-decades/